Panel manufacturers have developed a range of technologies to provide wider viewing angles without contrast or brightness loss. To accomplish this, many change the actual structure of the liquid crystal cells. For example, an in-plane switching (IPS) design runs the electric current through the sides of the cells, instead of front-to-back as in traditional designs. This causes the liquid crystals to align in a way that increases horizontal viewing angles.

Another group of panel designs (MVA) divides the individual cells into regions and arranges the liquid-crystal material so that it tilts in different directions in these regions. And advances in diffusing films and other materials can also increase effective viewing angles.

Measure by Measure

Regardless of the technology, seeing is believing. Most panels in this review have good viewing angles when you look at white images. The differences appear when you look at images made up of darker shades: Perhaps you've noticed dark areas turning lighter as your head moves off the center axis of an LCD panel. Viewing-angle limitations won't be much of a problem with applications like Microsoft Office (black text on a mostly white background), but they can be noticeable on PowerPoint slides with dark backgrounds or when you're viewing dark graphics.

How much of a problem is this? Even when you're seated straight in front of a screen, you'll be viewing all but the very center of the image at some angle. As the screen gets larger, the angles increase. For example, if you're on axis with the center of an 18-inch screen and you're seated 2 feet from the monitor, you'll be looking at the corners of the screen from a position that is 20 degrees off axis. You don't have to move much to be 30 or 40 degrees off, at which point most monitors start showing problems.

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